The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter (Part One)
by TheWalkingDeadNorm
Summary: He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC. Sophia is still alîve and will appear later on. I own nothing.
1. Tresspassers Beware

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter One:**

 **Trespassers Beware.**

 _Strangely he couldn't be sure where he was. He hadn't been this far out off the woods. He had been walking miles trying to get as far away from his abusive father until he reached a large open field. He hadn't seen it before and couldn't be certain off his exact location._

 _He wasn't lost though, Daryl Dixon didn't get lost. He was a hunter, a survivalist, he didn't get lost, he was simply off course._

 _"You know your trespassing, right?" A feminine voice came from behind him._

 _Slightly startled he turned around slowly. Stood before him was blonde haired, blued eyed teenage girl. She was wearing a light blue dress with flowers and Wellington boots which he found odd. From her feet to her thighs she was covered in thick sludge making him curious as to what she had been up too._

 _He simply shrugged._

 _"If my Daddy sees you he will shoot you." She warned._

 _"Whatever little girl." He huffed as he walked past her._

 _"I ain't no little girl. We're probably the same age." She said from behind him. He knew she was following him._

 _He rolled his eyes and didn't reply._

 _"Are you lost? I can tell you the way back to the main road." She said._

 _"I ain't lost. I know exactly where I am." He spat._

 _"Yeah, yeah, that's why your are heading straight towards a barbed fence where beyond that is a river that even you won't be able to get over without being pulled down stream by the current." She said crossing her arms as he turned to glare at her._

 _"Maybe that's exactly where I want to go!" He hissed not wanting her to get the better off him._

 _"Don't get your panties in a twist. It isn't attractive. If you wanna go drown in the river be my guest. I ain't saving your ass." She snapped back before turning on her heel and walking back the direction she came._

 _"Women." He muttered before he too turned back and began walking the way they came._

 _He soon caught up with her and found her walking towards a barn._

 _He want sure why but he followed her inside. There was nothing in side just her sat on a pile off hay at the back._

 _"What do you want?" She asked._

 _"Nothing." He huffed._

 _"Get the fuck out then." She snapped._

 _"You ain't no sailor." He said as he approached her._

 _She shrugged. "Do you want to know your way home yet or not?" She asked._

 _He shrugged. "Maybe i don't want to go home? Maybe I'm happy roaming the woods." He said sitting down a few feet away from her._

 _"Then why don't you do that? Why are you sat here talking to a little girl?" She asked raising an eyebrow._

 _He shrugged. "Because I can."_

 _She snorted unladylike. "Ya got a name scruff?" She asked._

 _"Daryl, Daryl Dixon." He replied. "What's yours?" He asked curiously._

 _"Tinkabelle." She joked with a smirked._

 _He couldn't help but smirk slightly. "What's your real name Tinkabelle?" He asked._

 _"Nellie."_

 _He let out a laugh but tried to cover it with a cough but failed. "I prefer Tinkabelle."_

 _She smirked. "Me too."_

 _"So what you doing this far out? The next farm house Is about three miles away, the village is even further. You must have been walking all day." She said._

 _He shrugged. "Don't like being cooped up."_

 _She nodded not bothering to question why._

 _"Well if you walk south a few miles through the woods you will eventually see the next farm house, after that I'm sure it will be a breeze to get back to whatever rock your crawled from." She smirked._

 _"Bitch." He muttered._

 _"I know." She grinned not fazed by the name calling._

 _They sat in silence for a little longer before Daryl's curiously got the better off him. "Why are you covered in mud?" He asked._

 _She smirked. "Got stuck in the creek. My dad's going to kill me. I'm either going to have to wait for it to dry and pick it off or wash it with the hose before he sees me." She laughed._

 _"Why would he kill you for getting muddy? You live on a farm."_

 _"It's not the mud that will bother him. It's where I've gone that will."_

 _"Why would it bother him?" He asked._

 _She looked up at him for a moment before her face fell to the floor. "It just would." She answers evasively._

 _He nodded sensing she didn't want to tell him._

 _"I will leave you too it then." He said as he stood from the floor._

 _"Sure thing Scruff." She smiled._

 _He rolled his eyes and walked to the door. He stopped when she spoke again. "Maybe you could not get lost again and come see me." She suggested shyly._

 _He inwardly grinned but kept a straight face. "Maybe." He replied before leaving her to grin at the now closed door he had left from._

 _Daryl felt slightly annoyed when he followed her directions and found out she was right but he tried not to let it bother him._

 _A few weeks had past since he first saw Nellie at the farm and after an argument with his drunk father Daryl left the house. He hadn't realised he was heading in the direction off Nellies farm until he was less than a mile away._

 _When he got to the outskirts off the farm he took a good look around wondering if Nellie would be anywhere in sight._

 _He didn't see her so he walked over to the barn he had followed her to when he first met her. He knew she could easily already be at home, out with friends or something like that but she had told him to come and see her sometime._

 _He was oddly, pleasantly surprised when he saw her sat on the same hay bale as before. He legs out in front off her with her ankles crossed. She was wearing a similar dress as before but it was light pink in colour. Once again she wore Wellington boots but this time she wasn't covered in mud._

 _"Look what the cat dragged in." She muttered as she heard him enter the barn._

 _He grunted. "Whatever Tinkabelle." He muttered as he sat on the same place as before._

 _"So what you doing here scruff?" She asked._

 _"Nothing."_

 _She nodded._

 _He was about to talk when the barn opened again revealing another blonde haired girl. She was younger a lot younger._

 _"Nellie, who's that?" She asked shyly._

 _"A friend I guess. His names Daryl."_

 _"Who's the Kid?" Daryl asked._

 _"Her names Beth. She's my baby cousin." Nellie replied. She turned back to Beth. "Where's your daddy?" She asked._

 _"With Uncle Chris." She replied sitting beside her and shyly looking over at Daryl._

 _"Where's Maggie?" Nellie asked._

 _Beth shrugged. "With mummy I think."_

 _Nellie nodded and Daryl watched the scene with a hidden smile._

 _"I will leave you too it." He said. "Don't wanna be shot." He chuckled._

 _Nellie grinned. "I guess not. See you around Scruff."_

 _"You too Tinkabelle." He grinned before exiting the barn._

Daryl was jolted from his daydream when Merle informed him he was going into the city with some off the group.

"Stop day dreaming you pussy." Merle snapped. "Go out hunting. Get us some real food. Am sick off eating beans."

"Whatever." Daryl grunted before picking up his crossbow.

"Try not to get your ass bitten by one off those diseased bastards." Merle shouted back at him chuckling as he did.

Daryl just shook his head and walked into the woods.

Ever since the outbreak began all he could think about was her, daydreaming about her, dreaming, flashbacks. It was all her. Almost his every thought revolved around her.

 _Was she safe?_

 _Did she die?_

 _Was she a walker now?_

He hated thinking about those questions but they were always running through his mind. He hoped she was safe with her Uncle Hershel and the girls, he hoped she didn't have to deal with loosing anymore family members.

He wondered if they would ever be reunited, if he would see her again. Sometimes he wanted closure so had that he would be okay seeing her as a walker just so he knew what had happened but he had no clue and that was the hardest part.

Not knowing...

He walked through the forest tracking a deer trying to refocus his thoughts but it just brought back the memories off teaching her to track, how to make animal traps, making fires from next to nothing. She was always a great student and learnt quickly which led to them spending most off their time in the woods together, or her not so secret hide out in the barn.

 _"Rabbit prints?" She asked looking down at the paw prints on the dirt._

 _He smirked and nodded. "Got a good eye Tinkabelle." He complimented._

 _"Oh I know." She grinned._

 _He saw her eye him up and down before walking off to follow the prints._

 _He shook his head and followed behind her._

After her father died she moved away unexpectedly with her uncle and cousins. It was so unexpected that she never got the chance to say goodbye or even tell him where she was going and that's when it happened.

The world turned to complete and utter shit and he had no idea what had happened to her.

All he wanted to do was search for her but he knew it would be the wrong move to go out looking on his own and Merle was no help. Instead off wanting to help all he did was tease and make fun off him for how close he was with Nellie.

Merle had never particularly like Nellie. He believed women were only good for one night stands and couldn't understand why Daryl was still friends with her after so many years.

 _"You bedded her yet?" Merle asked when he met up with Daryl. Daryl had casually brought up Nellie which instantly led to Merle questioning him._

 _"No." Daryl's replied._

 _"What the fuck you waiting for? Ain't she giving it up?" He asked._

 _"It's none if your damn business. Even if we had done anything I wouldn't tell you." He snapped before walking away leaving his brother chuckling._

By the time he finally put the deer down it was mid afternoon. When he got to the place the deer dropped he found a few people from the group already there battering a walker that had taken chunks out off the deer.

"It needs to be the brain!" He snapped as he took the walkers head off.

He was pissed to say the least and took his anger out on the headless walker.

His anger only flared when he found out the new comer, Rick had handcuffed his brother to the roof off some store in the city.

All his anger from not knowing where Nellie was, to the stupid deer, to his dumb ass brother built up until he snapped and caused an argument just for the sake off it.

When Shane and Rick and a few others calmed him down he went off to his tent.

He wanted to be left alone, he liked it that way. He didn't want to show anyone that he was really upset and not just angry.

He grabbed his rucksack and rummaged thorough it until he found what he wanted. It was a photograph. Just the one.

He could remember the day it was taken. Nellie had spent ages trying to convince him until he eventually have in. He found he always have into things when it came to her.

 _"Come on scruff! Just the one picture please. We don't have any together." She said giving him the look that always made him give in._

In the picture he stood next to Nellie with his arm around her shoulder attempting to smile.

He inwardly chuckled at the memory. In the background off the picture he could see Hershel attempting to duck out of view and failing and Beth's head was in the bottom right corner pulling a funny face and Maggie who had taken the picture had accident put her finger over the lens. To some the picture probably looked awfully but he knew how much Nellie loved it and that's all that matter.

 _"Perfectly imperfect." She said as she looked at the picture with a wide smile._

Nellie had tried hard to get a serious photo but she didn't mind. She laughed hard when she saw the outcome and so did the others.

He longed to hear that laugh once again not matter how cheesy he felt thinking like that.

She had changed him but in a good way unfortunately now he was back to being the Daryl Dixon no one liked.

He hated that, she would be disappointed to know he had been getting in fights.

He didn't want her to be disappointed in him if they reunited but he knew they chances were slim.

He hated that.

 **Bit different, let me know what you think. Btw, I have nothing against the name Nellie.**

 **So Nellie is Beth and Maggies cousin and Hershel is her uncle. More will be revealed with them later on.**

 **Each chapter will start probably have a flash back until he meets Nellie again so if you don't like then just don't read my story.**

 **Please review and let me keno what you think.**

 **Guest reviews are moderated.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	2. All That

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter Two:**

 **All Thats Left.**

 _He'd met her over three months ago now. He didn't visit her often but he had to admit when he did he enjoyed the time they spent together. She was fun to be around but talked way too much for his liking. He didn't know much about her not really. He had a feeling she was holding some things back, he didn't mind because he too hadn't told her all about him. She actually knew very little about him, just his name and about his love of the outdoors. He hadn't told her much about his family just that he only had his brother and father left now._

 _He met little Beth a few more times, she was shy and clung to Nellie whenever he was there. She didn't speak much to him but he didn't mind. Nellie spoke of her cousin Maggie a lot but he hadn't seen her yet but again he didn't mind. He wasn't a people person and he was pretty sure this Maggie wouldn't like him hanging around with her cousin anyway. Not many people liked him being friends with others because of his brothers reputation. Everyone believed he was a bad guy like him, constantly taking drugs, getting into fights and sleeping around. It was partly true but he was never as bad as Merle not in the slightest. He had been in scuffles and have even taken some drugs and as far as Merle was aware he had slept with many girls but he actually hadn't. Girls tended to avoid him because of his brother reputation, he was surprised Nellie still wanted to hang around with him._

 _Peoples opinions didn't matter to Daryl though, although he did find himself trying to impress Nellie which was odd._

 _Just like any other time he went to see her he went straight to the barn. Sometimes she was already there others he would wait for a few hours until she turned up, he would never admit to waiting so long but the smirk she gave him made him think she already knew._

 _When he arrived the barn was empty so he sat down on his usual spot and waited._

 _And waited..._

 _He was sure he had been waiting all afternoon and she still hadn't arrived. He peeked out of the barn and saw her truck and her fathers on the long drive way so he knew she was home but there was also a fancy newer car on the drive way too. One he had never seen during the times he had been there._

 _He still waited.._

 _It got dark but he still waited._

 _The fancy car and her fathers trick left but he still waited._

 _He father returned and he still waited._

 _He felt himself drifting off to sleep but he still waited._

 _He felt like he needed too wait. Something was making him stay whether it was just curiosity or more._

 _He knew he must have fell to sleep because he felt himself being shook slightly and his name being called._

 _He opened his eyes slowly and let them adjust to the morning light before he finally recognised the voice._

 _Nellie knelt before him, her eyes were puffy and red and he was certain she had been crying._

 _"How long have you been here?" She asked._

 _"Not long." He lied._

 _She smirked and nodded. "I believe ya." She said before sitting beside him._

 _"Have you been crying?" He asked._

 _"No."_

 _"You're lying." He said simply._

 _"Does it really matter if I am or not?" She asked._

 _He thought about it for a moment before answering. "I guess not."_

 _She didn't reply instead he felt her lean against him and her head laid on his shoulder._

 _"What are you doing Tinkabelle?" He asked trying to sound annoyed._

 _"And you say I talk to much. Just shut up and let me sit here." She snapped._

 _He nodded slowly and allowed it. Any other person he would have pushed away but not her. He couldn't find it in his heart to do so. Clearly something had upset her._

 _A little while later she finally sat up properly and stared ahead looking sad. It was then he noticed her fiddling with what looked like a hospital bracket, only it was really small so it couldn't be hers._

 _"What's that?" He asked nodding towards her hands._

 _She handed him the small bracelet and he read the name written on it._

 _'Baby Boy Greene'_

 _Who's kid was it?" He asked._

 _She looked up at him and bit her lip before looking away. "He was mine."_

 _She whispered._

 _He was shocked at what she had said and wondered if he had heard her right. "You've got a kid?" He asked._

 _"No, not anymore. He died. Just a few months before we met."_

 _"H-how? If you don't mind me asking." He stammered._

 _She shrugged. "I still don't know. I think they call it cot death." She explained._

 _He nodded. "Think I've heard of that."_

 _She nodded slowly. "The day you met me I'd been to the creek. I'd been there all day, just me and my knife. It was quite there. I've always loved sitting by the embankment and thinking, forgetting, wondering."_

 _"A knife?" He asked._

 _She nodded. "I couldn't do it. I tried before but my daddy caught me. That's why he doesn't like me going there. That day I realised that I couldn't just waste my life in such a way. People loose people all the time and they get over it. Plus I got stuck in the mud and lost my knife." She joked._

 _He snorted. "Stupid ass." He muttered._

 _"I know." She looked down at the tiny bracelet. "This may be all I have left but I still have the memories. I should treasure those. I shouldn't be thinking about trying to kill my self. Life's precious. We should all appreciate it a little more. People seem to take it for granted."_

She was right that day. People do take life for granted. Right now he new life was precious. There were probably only less than half the population left and he was lucky to be apart off it. He was still alive and for the most part he was healthy and fairly safe.

But he didn't have his brother. All he had left was his hand. His fucking hand.

He had to chuckle slightly. Even he didn't think he could cut his own hand off. It was mad.

He understand what she meant though. She may have been upset, she may have wanted to end her life but she didn't. She was stronger than those thoughts and she made it through it just like he was going to get through the potential losses off her and his brother.

They could still be out there and that's what kept him going.

He was even more determined to find them both alive.

After the shit storm at the camp with the walkers which had killed off a good portion of there group they had decided it was best to travel to the CDC and see if there really was a cure.

However Jim had been bitten and while everyone was trying to save his ass all Daryl wanted to do was stick an axe through his head. He was a danger to them all. If he turned while no one was looking he could easy take one persons life or more.

Rick had told him they don't kill the living and it reminded him off something Nellie had said while out hunting.

 _There was a small deer, it was limping and Daryl had wanted to kill it and cook it up but Nellie had told him not too._

 _"But it's injured. We should cook it up." He told her._

 _"Okay then but when you break your leg or arm I will kill you and eat you up shall I!" She snapped._

 _"That's different." He retorted._

 _"How?"_

 _"Because I'm living person."_

 _"Not the point. If we put down every living person who injured themselves there would be no human race. Let the poor deer heel, let it live its life and we will find something else for you too viciously kill. Maybe a bird. There's lot off them" She suggested looking up at the trees._

 _He huffed. "Fine. Let's go kill some little bunnies." He grinned as he began to run from her._

 _She gasped. "No!" She screamed and chased after him._

He chuckled slightly at the memory. It had been the first time they had gone out tracking and hunting and she tried to stop him from killing everything wild.

He had gotten a rabbit while she wasn't looking and cooked it up over the fire. She refused to eat any but after a lot of pressuring she agreed and ate more of it than him. He had laughed almost the entire time.

She soon changed her mind about killing animals.

He wondered what her views on killing an infected humans were. Would she kill someone who had been bitten to stop there suffering or allow them to reanimate? He was curious.

Jim was clearly suffering but some of the others had it in there head that he would survive if they got him to the CDC. Daryl didn't even think he would make it that far. He already had a fever and was beginning to talk gibberish.

Wouldn't it just be best to put him out off his misery like he should have done that deer all those years ago?

Maybe so but her voice constantly rattled around his mind telling him to stop arguing and go along with what the group said. So he did.

 _"You can't just shut up for five minutes can you?" He asked her._

 _"No I can't. Now stop being an ass." She replied._

On the ride to the CDC they ended up leaving Jim at the side of the road. He wanted to be with his family or so that's what he was saying in between hallucinations. Daryl had wondered if they should put him out of his misery, not leave him for the walkers or to turn into one but they just left him and barely looked back.

A small, very small part off Daryl believed there may be a cure but an even bigger part knew it was bullshit.

When they arrived at the CDC all they saw were bodies littering the group. The smell was disgusting, flies swarmed the area.

"This was a waste of fucking time." Daryl spat at Rick.

When no one answered the doors and the a walkers began closing in everyone began getting worried but Rick was still screaming and shouting at doors. He believed he saw the camera moved but everyone thought he was seeing things.

But then the door opened.

That bit of hope increased slightly for Daryl as they entered the building.

It was a bust. Everyone was gone but one man and he was a dick, who just spoke to his computer.

He locked then inside told them a bunch off bullshit, fed them well and then told them the place was going to blow up and there was no way out. It would have been nice to have known that before they for locked in.

Once again Daryl's anger got the better off him and he was shouting, raging and threatening to kill.

He was worried, he didn't want to die in the CDC. He had plans, he had to find out the truth about Merle and Nellie and he couldn't do that if he was blown to smithereens.

Carol was to thank, she had the grenade Rick had left. They got out, just in time too. The building blew up with that asshole doctor and Jacqui who hadn't wanted to continue in this world. In a way he didn't blame her but it was another waste off a life. It was her choice, it was what she wanted so they had to let go and not dwell on it.

"Now what?" Daryl asked.

No one really had an answer. They had barely any fuel, or food. They ended up limiting the vehicles and took the gas out of the vehicles they were not using anymore.

Most off them piled into the RV and the truck while Daryl rode along on his brothers bike. He wasn't about to leave that behind.

Another memory, everything seemed to be a memory. The memory off Nellie meeting Merle for only the second time. It was less than a year ago and still fresh in his mind. It was a funny memory one he couldn't help but laugh at.

 _"I ain't going on that death trap with your crazy ass brother." Nellie snapped as she looked at the bike and back at Daryl._

 _"Oh come on, I will give you the ride of your life." Merle said and he winking at her._

 _She cringed. "And I will beat you senseless." She replied._

 _"I like them feisty." Merle grinned over at Daryl. "Good taste bro."_

 _Daryl grunted in disgust. "Shut up Merle." He hissed._

 _He held his hand ups grinning. "Come on Tinkabelle. Come for a ride." Merle said._

 _"Only Daryl calls me that." She huffed._

 _"Aww. You got pet names. That's cute. When's he wedding? Will you be wearing a pretty suit Daryl" He laughed._

 _She punched him in the arm. "Fine. I will come on a ride with you,"_

 _He grinned._

 _"You don't have too." Daryl said grabbing her hand._

 _"I know." She said before she leaned in and whispered. "Only you can give me the ride of my life."_

 _He blushed and turned away. "Just wait till you get back Tinkabelle." He smirked._

 _She winked and got onto the bike with Merle._

 _"Hold onto what ever you like sugar tits." He said chuckling._

 _She rolled her eyes and held his waist as he began to ride off._

 _Daryl watched almost in hysterical laughter. Merle had picked up the speed and Nellie was clinging into him as tight as she could while screaming and shouting at him to stop. Daryl hadn't laughed so much in a long time._

 _Merle and Nellie came to a stop in front of Daryl who was trying to contain his laughter._

 _"Neve again." Nellie muttered breathlessly as she got off the bike. And stumbled over to Daryl._

 _"Jesus women, your loud!" Merle said running his ears. "Bet she's a screamer in bed." He chuckled at Daryl._

Daryl silently chuckled to himself as the group came to a stop on the highway.

"What you smiling for?" Shane asked as Daryl walked over to the RV.

"Mind your own." Daryl snapped.

The RV needed a new radiator hose so people went off to find supplies on the countless cars abandoned on the other side off the high way while others attempted to fix the RV.

"Get under the cars." He heard someone hiss. He looked back to see a herd off walkers coming towards them.

He shuffled under a car and waited for them to pass, the shuffling the groans and moans, the smell he hated it all, it made him angry.

Once the herd had gone they jumped out from under the car but then they heard a girls scream.

All he saw was Rick running towards the woods.

He found out Sophia had ran away when she got spooked by two walkers.

That's number three, three people missing.

How many more?

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **The flashbacks are not in order as you've probably guess but I hope that doesn't affect the reading.**

 **Some thing's will be different from the television series.**

 **Spoiler for later chapters but Sophia is not going to die but she's not going to be found until later on.**

 **Proof read but i may have missed a mistake. Sorry in advance.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	3. Have You Seen This Girl?

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter Three:**

 **Have you seen this Girl?**

 _After Nellie revealed to Daryl that she once had a child he felt closer to her especially after she told him that only her family knew about her baby. Her sons name was Jacob and he died when he was just three weeks old. She spent hours telling him all about Jacob. Usually he would have gotten annoyed with her yapping but he found himself hanging off every word._

 _"Where is he buried?" Daryl asked._

 _"At the Church five miles back." She replied._

 _He nodded slowly._

 _That day when he left her he was having a lot off strange thoughts. Merle would have called him a pussy if he knew but Daryl genuinely hurt for Nellie. She was so young, had gotten pregnant by a guy who professed his love for her when all the time he just wanted to bed her. He hadn't cared when she told him she was pregnant so she kept it to herself. She didn't even tell her father until she was almost sic months along and unable to hide it. Maggie became a big support for her and for the rest of her pregnancy, birth and the three weeks of Jacobs life she lived with Maggie and her family._

 _When Jacob died her father allowed her too come back home. She never forgave him properly but she couldn't afford to move out or get into silly arguments with him so she put up with it._

 _Daryl wondered if their was any way of helping her. She had a part time job as a farm hand on a neighbouring farm and she worked part time for her father for free. Daryl don't have a job. He doubted anyone would hire him anyway._

 _Just a like Nellie he wanted to get away from home, at least that's what they called it, it didn't feel like home to neither off them._

 _Granted Nellie loved her father and he loved her. He was never abusive like Daryl's father and he didn't get drunk and scream and shout at her but she knew he was disappointed in her, she knew by looks he gave her, the way he could go days without saying a single word to her._

 _He felt sorry for her, he wanted to help but what could he do? A teenage boy, constantly trying to avoid a beating from his father._

 _When he got home later that evening he snatched up the loose change that sat on the counter. More than likely what his father had taken from his pockets after coming home from the local bar._

 _The next morning Daryl took the change and whatever bit off money he could find from around the house and went to the florets._

 _He threw the money on the counter and asked the assistant. "What can I get with that?" He asked in his usual manor._

 _She pulled a disgusted face and counted the change. "What do you want flowers for? Pretty sure you ain't the type of boy to try and impress a lady."_

 _He narrowed his eyes at her and scoffed. "It's for a babies grave lady. Now hurry up." He snapped._

 _She raised an eyebrow but said no more. "Here." She handed him a small bouquet of flowers. He had no idea which ones. Why would he?_

 _"Er thanks." He said before leaving the store._

 _He walked to the church Nellie had told him about and went to the newer graves. It didn't take him long to find Jacobs grave._

 _On top was some withered flowers and a small teddy best with a blue ribbon. He straightened out the bear and placed his flowers on the grave._

 _He knew flowers wouldn't help how Nellie felt, or her situation at home but he hoped she would see them and realise someone did care. He would never tell her he brought them. He really would get shit from his brother then._

 _"Don't worry kid. I'll take care of your mam for you." Daryl said before leaving._

She never did find out who out the flowers on the grave. She had told him about them but he said nothing. It was his secret, she didn't need to know. He liked hearing her guess who could have put them there. He hadn't expected a few flowers to make her smile but it did. She was happy she wasn't the only one thinking about her little boy and that someone else had been too.

Daryl's thoughts drifted to Carol. He couldn't imagine the pain she felt. He had never lost a child nor would he want to.

He never saw Nellies initial pain when her son died but when she spoke off him he saw it in her eyes and the way she spoke.

He couldn't let another person get taken away when he could easily do something about it. He could search, damn the all could.

"I'm going to look for her." Daryl announce.

Dale and T-Dig ended up being the only ones left behind. Usually Daryl would be annoyed by the amount of people coming tracking with him but the mores eyes they had out their the more chance they had of finding Sophia.

The tracking had been going as good as it could be. They had a general idea of where she went but then they heard those stupid church bells and went chasing after them.

All they found was three dead bastards walking and a timer for the bells. A complete waste off time.

Carl, Shane and Rick went separate ways to the others. Daryl began to get annoyed when all he could hear was Andrea whining about not being allowed a gun.

That's when they heard a shot, just one. They looked around but saw nothing.

"Maybe they took down a walker."

"They wouldn't waste a bullet just for one. They wouldn't risk it." Lori said.

They gave in trying to figure out where the shot came from but a few minutes later they heard Andrea screaming and then the sound of a horse approaching. A blonde hair women hit the walker attacking Andrea with a bat and turned to them.

"Lori Grimes. Your husband needs you. Carls been shot."

"What?" Lori screeched as she ran to get on the horse.

"Woah, you can't go with her."

"Carls been shot!" She shouted in reply

And there she went, how many more people have to go missing or get injured or killed until the group stops taking such risks?

Daryl wasn't particularly close to any one of them but it didn't mean he wanted them to go galloping off with some random women, get shot, or worse.

'How the fuck did Carl get shot anyway? Shouldn't Rick and Shane have been watching him?' He asked himself.

Once back on the highway they had to explain where Lori was to T-Dog and Dale and that they hadn't found Sophia. Carol was inconsolable of course and Glenn decided to go to the farm to tell them their plan which was to stay on the highway incase Sophia came back.

The next morning there was still no sign off Sophia so they left a message and some supplies just in case she came back and they all headed to the Greene farm.

He only had a brief update on Carl but from what he heard he wasn't doing so good and Shane and some other guy had to make a run to a school to get the equipment they needed but the other guy had died.

Daryl was pissed that they had allowed Carl to be shot in the first place. He knew it wasn't directly Shane and Ricks fault but he sure as hell could blame them anyway.

As Daryl entered the house he couldn't have been more shocked to come across three familiar faces.

"Daryl." They all said at once causing everyone to look around confused.

 _"Oh come on Daryl! They're the nicer ones of my family." She said pouting slightly._

 _"They ain't going to like me." He replied._

 _She had been trying to convince him to go to dinner with her uncle Hershel, Maggie and Beth._

 _"I've told them about you and they want to meet you. Beth has started to warm to you too. Please?" She asked._

 _He sighed. "Fine." He groaned._

 _Daryl had been surprised by how welcoming they all were. They didn't treat him like the people In the town did. They didn't look down their noses at him, they were just...well nice._

 _Maggie had been skeptical about him at first but soon got over it and Beth was well Beth. Cute little blonde haired girl who was too shy to even say hello to him. She soon came around though._

"Hershel, Beth, Maggie, fuck!" He exclaimed.

"Language boy!" Hershel said before pulling him into a hug and slapping his back. "It's good to see you!" He grinned as he pulled away.

"Daryl!" Beth grinned and hugged him. Maggie smiled and joined the hug. She had tears in her eyes.

"I can't believe you're here." She said.

They all pulled back and he looked at them expectantly.

"Where is she then?" Daryl asked hopeful.

Everyone was watching the very uncharacteristic scene for Daryl.

Daryl looked at Hershel then to Beth, them Maggie. No one was answering.

"Where Nellie?" He asked.

"S-she went on a supply run to the pharmacy, she-she never came back." Maggie explained.

He shook his head. "No, no!"

He rubbed his neck with his hand. "She's here, she has to be." He told them.

"Who's Nellie? How do you all know each other?" T-Dog asked.

Daryl just shook his head angrily and ran out off the room as everyone watched him. Al they heard was the front door slamming.

"Should I go after him?" Maggie asked no one inparticular.

"No let him take it all in." Hershel said said.

"I'm confused." Carol said.

"Daryl he knew our cousin. They were really close." Beth explained quietly.

"They were a couple?" T-Dog asked.

"They never said so but yeah we think so." Maggie said.

"Damn." Shane muttered. "Is she, his girl...dead?"

"She never came back, we don't know." Hershel said. "Right I need you all to leave no. Carl needs some rest." He explained wiping his hands over his face.

Everyone agreed and left still slightly shocked by what had just happened.

After finding out that Nellie was more than likely dead Daryl set off for the woods. He only had one goal and that was to not fail another person.

He needed to find Sophia, he couldn't allow someone else to die.

 _"We will be okay won't we Daryl?" She asked as she wrapped her arm around his waist._

 _"Of course we will Tinkabelle." He replied pulling her a little closer. "I told you I would always protect you. Can't be letting you down can I?"_

 _She chuckled slightly. "You're a good man Daryl Dixon." She replied and kissed his cheek making him blush. "No matter what anyone thinks, I know you're a good man."_

 _He smiled down at her and they continued to sit in silence._

What he would do to go back to those times.

He failed her.

 **The person on the horse was Patricia. I couldn't have it as Maggie or it wouldn't have worked.**

 **Daryl's OOC here so I apologise if you don't like that.**

 **I think I got some of the wording wrong from the script but oh well, it's a FF it ain't going to be word for word from the show.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Proof read but u may have missed something.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	4. Promises

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter Four:**

 **Promises.**

 _Soft delicate fingers graze his arm, warm breath hitting his cheek._

 _"That was interesting." Nellie whispered._

 _He nodded but said nothing as he pulled her closer. She kissed his lips gently as her hand traveled across his arm and then to his chest._

 _"Is this what you usually do with just friends?" He asked as they pull back from the kiss._

 _"Of course not." She replied slightly offended._

 _"Sorry, just making sure." He said softly._

 _She nodded. "I don't just kiss anyone Daryl." She whispered before kissing him once again._

"Daryl...Daryl...how're you feeling?" Came Hershel's voice awakening him from his dream.

He groaned slightly. "Fucking perfect." He replied sarcastically. "Sorry." He said when he realised he had cussed.

"It's okay. Do you remember what happened?" He asked.

"Horse got spooked by a snake, fell, arrow in my side, walkers, stupid bitch shot me in the head." Daryl recalled.

"Sounds about right. You will have to rest up for a few days before you can go out searching again. You can stay in the house with us. You're practically family anyway." Hershel explains.

Daryl just grunts and nods, he wasn't in any mood to argue. He looks around the room he's currently in, taking in his surroundings. "It's Nellies room." Hershel told him.

Slowly he nodded and then Carol entered the room with a tray off food for him.

"Hey Daryl, how are you feeling?" She asked with a slight smile.

"Like I've been shot in the head and had an arrow in my side." He spat back annoyed.

She ignored his tone and continued. "I brought you some food, Maggie made it." She said placing the tray on the bedside table.

He grunts and nodded.

"I will leave you to it Daryl." Hershel said as he left the room and shut the door behind him leaving Carol and Daryl alone.

"T-thank you for spending so much time looking for Sophia." Carol said gently.

He just nodded in response.

"And the flower."

Again he just nods.

"I will leave you to eat up and rest." She said standing to leave. She passes the dresser and sees a framed photograph of a Daryl a few years younger and a pretty blond women. She could see Daryl hadn't known the picture was taken, he was smiling at the women in a way she had never seen him smile at anyone before.

"Is this Nellie?" She asked showing Daryl the photograph.

He took it from her hands and nodded.

"Was she your girlfriend?" She asked.

 _"So are we like boyfriend and girlfriend?" She asked._

 _He shrugged. "Dunno."_

 _"We act like a couple." She commented._

 _"Maybe." He replied._

 _"You don't think so?" She asked looking ahead._

 _He shrugged. "I guess we do but relationships ain't really my thing." He said._

 _He sees her face drop slightly before she plasters on a fake smile. "That's okay."_

"I'm not sure what we were." He replied honestly.

"You look happy with her." Carol told him.

"I was." He replied as he placed the picture on the bedside table.

Carol nodded and walked to the door. "I hope you find her again."

He nodded. "Me too and I hope we find Sophia."

She smiled sadly and nods before leaving.

The past few days had been hectic. All he had been focused on was finding Sophia, taking his anger out on walkers and trying to push any thoughts off Nellie to the back off his mind.

Once Daryl had began feeling good enough to continue with his search for Sophia he was up and ready however as soon as he was back with the group he found out Hershel had been keeping walkers in the barn and believed they were just sick.

"Can't you talk to him?" Shane snapped at Daryl.

"Shane, this is Hershel's property we have no right telling him anything." Rick replied.

"You really want to be sleeping next to a barn full off walkers?" Shane asked.

"Of course not!" Rick snaps. "I will talk to Hershel."

Shane sighs. "I say we just let them out and kill them all." Shane snaps.

"Don't even think about it." Daryl growls. "Rick just said he will sort it."

"I think we should just leave. Talking ain't going to do shit" Shame said.

"We can't Sophia's still out their." Carol cried.

"Maybe we should start thinking about the other possibilities." Shane said putting his hand on his hips.

This led to a huge argument between them all.

Rick eventually went off to find Hershel who was bringing walkers back to the barn. Rick helped him bring them back while trying to explain why keeping them wasn't a good idea.

Daryl knew keeping the walkers in the barn was a bad idea and unsafe but like Rick had said this was Hershel's land and he didn't seem to understand that walkers were dead and there was no way off bringing then back. He definitely didn't want to be the one to tell him that.

What Daryl hadn't expected from the situation was for Shane to go off his head shouting and shooting at the walkers Hershel had brought back before running to the barn and letting the walkers out. All the walkers were taken down. Hershel walked away angry, disgusted and upset. Beth was distraught seeing her mother laying in the ground, Maggie tried to comfort her but nothing worked.

Later that day they find out Hershel has gone missing. Soon realising that he may have gone back to his old ways Glenn and Rick go in search for him. Not just for Hershel but for Beth who was stuck in some kind of trance.

Daryl wanted to go too but was convinced to stay behind in order to try and help Beth. However he found himself back in Nellies room. It felt wrong looking through her belongings but it allowed him to feel closer to her, to see the clothes he had once seen her wear, the photographs on the dresser, the nick nacks spread all around the room, he had seen her room while she still lived with her father but it was never like this. It felt homely, comforting, at her fathers it was cold, no personal items sat around, no photos, everything was neat and tidy. He preferred her room at Hershel's house, it was her, all her. Her entire personality in a room.

Rick and Glenn eventually found Hershel drinking in an old bar. Unfortunately they ran into trouble when two men entered. They seemed almost friendly to begin with but soon they turned aggressive but Rick was able to shoot them down keeping himself, Glenn and Hershel safe.

Not long after three men appear looking for the two men who had previously identified themselves as Dave and Tony.

They found Rick, Glenn and Hershel and before they know it shots are being fired willy nilly.

When they reach the outside they see one of the men impaled on a metal fence but then hear the sounds off a girl screaming.

They all turn around to see the two other men dragging a women and a child away.

Hershel recognises her instantly. "Nellie!" He shouts in distress.

She's holding the girl close to her as they men drag them away.

"Isn't that-" Glenn began but Rick cut him off.

"SOPHIA!" He shouted when he finally recognised the young girl who's shouting back at him.

"I'll look after her I promise." Nellie called. "We will find you." She promised as they were forced into a car as the walkers began surrounding them.

They car drove off and they watched in shock.

"Help me please, don't leave me." The man, Randell cried.

Rick was angry, he wanted to just leave him there but he could help with finding Sophia.

"Come 9n." He said to Glenn. They pulled him off the spike and began running back to the car just as the walkers began closing in.

The put a blindfold over Randell's eyes and began driving back to the farm.

"She will take care of her Rick." Hershel said.

Rick didn't say anything.

They arrived back and everyone was outside waiting.

"Who's that?"

"His group attacked us." Glenn said.

"They-they have Sophia and Nellie." Rick explained.

A cried erupted from Carol and gasps from the others.

"She promised to look after her." Glenn said hoping to comfort her.

"H-how did they look?" Daryl asked.

"Unharmed but scared."

Daryl nodded slowly trying to control his emotions.

"So why have you brought him back?" Shane asked.

"He's going to help us find them." Rick said as he pushed Randell towards the barn. "Hershel will stitch him up and then we will start with the interrogation." Rick explained.

Maggie walks up beside Daryl and pats his shoulder. "She will be okay."

He nods and walks over to Carol who was still sobbing.

"She will look after Sophia. I know she will." He said quietly.

"At least I know she's still alive." She sniffed.

He nods slowly and walks towards his tent needing to be alone.

 _"Hey." He said shyly as he approached her._

 _"Hey scruff! What you doing here?" She asked as she continued to brush the horse._

 _"I..Um, well I got you something." He said not meeting her eyes._

 _"Oh aye? What's that then?" She asked smiling._

 _He hands her a small box and she smiled before opening it. She let's out a small chuckle when she sees the necklace with a Tinkabelle charm on._

 _"It's beautiful, thank you Daryl." She grinned._

 _He smiled. "Want me to put it on you?" He asked._

 _She nodded. "Sure." She smiled._

 _She handed him the necklace and scooped her hair up so her could fasten it behind her._

 _Once fastened he kisses her shoulder shocking her slightly before turning her around._

 _"Thank you." She whispers and kisses him gently on the lips._

 _He blushed. "Your welcome."_

 _"W-what's it for though? You don't seem like the gift giving type." She grinned._

 _"Gotta give my girl nice things." He smirked._

 _She raised an eyebrow. "Your girl eh?" She asked smirking._

 _He nods shyly and puts his hands on her waist. He would never get over how shy she makes him feel, how easily she could make him blush and in his brothers words, how easily she could turn him into a pussy._

 _"Yes, my girl." He whispered before kissing her hard on the lips. He feels her smile against his lips before wrapping her arms around his neck._

Those were the memories he loved to recall. The memories he hoped he would never forget.

He hoped someday he could relive those memories, to just kiss her again, touch her, talk to her, anything.

He wished he had gone with Glenn and Rick, he wondered if he could have saved her and Sophia or at the very least see her again, for all he knew it could be the last time anyone ever saw them.

 **Quite a lot off differences, so Nellie and Sophia are together. I know some may think that's strange but I felt like Nellie should have a reason to keep fighting when it came to searching for the group.**

 **Because of the changed in my story from the show Randell will not know Maggie so he never leaves the farm with Rick but he will still get killed in the same way.**

 **Let me know what you think..is this story any good?**

 **I know Daryl was kind off OOC especially in the flash backs so I apologise if that isn't your think.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	5. Torture

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter Five:**

 **Torture.**

"Daryl, you can't go in there all guns blazing. We want to know where Sophia and Nellie are too but you can't do this alone." Rick explained as Daryl went storming down to the barn where Randell was being held. Every day since he had arrived Daryl had tried to torture him to find out but he was hopped up on drugs for his leg and they barely got a reply.

"I don't need help, I'm going to sort that little shit out my self." Daryl snapped.

"You ain't doing it by yourself. Everyone needs help. He ain't going to talk if you beat him to near death."

 _"You got me a what?" He asked angrily._

 _She was taken a back by his anger slightly. "A job. I thought you'd be happy."_

 _"What, that I have some girl running around after me?" He snapped._

 _"Well I'm sorry for caring about you Mr Dixon! Hershel needs help on the farm so I convinced him to take you on as I know you can't get any work due to your brothers reputation. I thought I was fucking helping!"_

 _"You think this is helping?" He asked._

 _"Yes! You need a job, you need money to get away from your father you've told me that yourself. This is your chance. Why is it making you so angry?" She asked genuinely confused._

 _"Because I don't need help from you! What is it? Are you ashamed to be friends with someone like me? Do I not live up to expectation? Am I too poor, not good enough for a rich farm girl?" He asked._

 _"You're being a dick you know that? I couldn't give a fuck oif you had never worked a day in your life, i...I..."_

 _"What Nellie?" He asked. "What is it?" He asked annoyed._

 _She didn't say anything._

 _"I ain't doing what no women tells me. You got it. I don't need no job."_

 _He knew he upset her. He felt bad when he saw the tears run down her cheeks._

 _"I was only trying to help." She whispered._

 _"I don't need help." He snapped._

 _"But you do!" She replied angrily. "You don't get it do you! Everyone needs help at some point in their life, you should be grateful that I would even think of you when it came to that job, grateful that uncle Hershel is more than willing to train you up, pay you a decent wage, give you everything you want..no need to get away from your father. Stop being a stubborn bastard and accept some help!" She snapped back at him._

"Fine, but he best get talking or I will torture him man." Daryl told Rick.

Rick nodded.

Randell had been stitched up by Hershel. His wound was awful and he needed to rest for a good while before he would be able to walk without injuring himself more.

Rick and Daryl entered the barn where Randell was. He was sat on the floor his hands bound and his wound bandaged up.

"Ready to talk?" Rick asked.

Randell just smirked.

"Seem a little cocky for a guy who was begging for my help." Rick said crouching down before him as Daryl watched, eyeing the man closely.

Randell's eyes filled with anger. "Fuck off." He snapped.

Daryl whipped out his knife and pushed Rick away taking his place. "You're going to talk, you're going to tell me where they took that women and little girl, you got it?" He hissed.

Randell smirked. "They yours?" He asked.

Daryl gripped the knife tighter. "TELL ME!" He shouted.

"They're going to wish they were dead and you lot are all going to be dead soon anyway." He chuckled.

Daryl angrily pushed his knife against the bandaged wound making Randell scream. "Tell me where they are!" He shouted.

"Daryl stop!" He heard Rick call.

Randell was still screaming but not talking so Daryl continued to stick the knife in further allowing the wound to reopen and spew blood across his hand.

"They won't be at the same camp." Randell finally blurted out.

Daryl stopped his movements. Randell was breathing heaving and hissing at the pain. "They will be long gone." He told them. "They left me behind!" He shouted angrily.

"How many of them is there?" Rick asked.

"Thirty or so.." He replied.

"Will they try to kill Nellie and Sophia?" Daryl asked.

"They will wish they were dead." Randell said bitterly.

Daryl plunged the knife into the open wound before standing and leaving the barn.

"You're needed back there." Daryl grumbled to Hershel as he walked back to his tent.

 _"I'm sorry for being such an ass." Daryl muttered as he stood at the barn door._

 _"Wow, look at that you know how to apologise."_

 _"Don't be a bitch. I just said I'm sorry." He snapped back._

 _"Doesn't mean shit when you don't mean it." She replied._

 _"I do mean it. I shouldn't have shouted at you, I should be grateful that you and Hershel got me a job but it feels wrong." He told her as he sat beside her._

 _"Why? How is having a job wrong?" She asked._

 _"It's not the job." He sighed. "It's the fact you got it for me. I should be helping you not the other way around."_

 _"Daryl you do help me more than you will ever understand. I just wanted to give back. I wanted to help you. I don't want to see new scars on your body, to see you unable to breath properly because he broke another rid. I want to see you safe, I want to see you with money in your pocket, not for my benefit but for yours."_

 _He looked at her for a moment before looking away. "I didn't know you felt that way."_

 _"Well I do. I don't want to see you hurting and I know you are." She whispered with tears in her eyes._

 _"I don't want to see you hurting either."_

 _"And you won't because together we will get away from our shitty fathers and do something better with our lives. My daddy may not physically abuse me but emotionally.." she paused. "It's been over a year since me and him have had a conversation. He can go weeks without talking to me. It hurts Daryl not like the pain you feel but it hurts and I want to get away. I want to get away with you but we've got to work together." She whispered as she cupped his cheeks._

 _"Okay. I'll take the job...for us."_

 _She smiled. "For us." She echoed before kissing him softly._

"Hey Daryl, you mind if I come in?" Carol asked as she stood at the entrance if his tent.

He sat up and nodded.

She sat beside him in silence for a moment before clearing her throat.

"D-did, does the boy know where Sophia is?" She asked.

"No."

She nodded. "D-do you think they will kill her?"

He shrugged. "They said they will wish they were dead. They got over thirty men." He blurted out angrily not realising the affect it would have on her.

"Oh god, my poor baby." She sobbed.

He rolled his eyes. "Ain't just your poor baby out there you know. Nellies risking her life to keep Sophia safe." He spat angrily unable to stop himself.

She stared at him shocked, angry and upset before leaving the tent.

He sighed. He was angry at himself and he knew eventually he would have to apologise.

"Daryl dinners done." He heard Maggie call.

He groaned and set off to the house.

He entered the dining room where every one was sat, some were stood leant against the wall with plates in their hands.

"Thanks." Daryl grunted as he took the plate of food from Maggie. She smiled sadly and turned back to what she was doing.

He looked around at everyone's faces all sad looking.

"Someone die?" He asked smirking.

"Not the time Daryl." Hershel said.

"Whatever old man." Daryl replied.

"I'll make you cleaning out the horses if you keep talking to me like that." Hershel threatened half joking.

"You ain't my boss no more. Can't do shit." He grinned.

Hershel shook his head.

"You worked for Hershel?" Lori asked curiously.

"Yeah for a little while." Daryl replied.

"A little while? You were almost part of the furniture." Maggie says taking a seat beside Glenn.

"Was not." He denied.

"Pfft, yeah, yeah, we turned you into a farm boy." She grinned.

"Can't imagine that myself." Rick said smirking.

Daryl grumbled under his breath before shovelling more food in his mouth.

"He was a good worker when he wasn't sneaking off that is." Hershel said with a raised eyebrow.

Daryl choked on a bit of food making some of the others laugh.

"Sneaking off eh Daryl? What doing?" Glenn teased.

"Kissing Nellie." Beth blurted grinning.

Daryl wanted to shout at her for saying it but she was smiling for the first time since the incident a few days before.

He just shook his head and sent her a smirk.

" you catch them often?" Glenn asked trying to rile Daryl up.

"We all did. Too often. Sometimes it wasn't even kissing." Maggie blurted.

"Alright, alright I'm eating here." T-dog called laughing.

"I'm leaving." Daryl grunted trying to hide his embarrassment as he walked out.

"Maybe we should stop joking and do something with that Randell kid locked in the barn " Shane said annoyed.

"There's also Sophia to find." Lori said.

"And Nellie." Maggie added.

Carol snorted in disgust before leaving the house.

When Daryl got back to his tent his mind was filling with all the times he and Nellie had snuck away to mess around.

Even as they got older they still acted like teenagers hiding away even though everyone seemed to know what they were doing.

He laid back on his sleeping back with his arm resting behind his head thinking back to those times.

 _"Come with me." She said pulling his arm making him drop the spade and chase after her._

 _"What's wrong? You okay?" He asked as he caught up with her._

 _She just grinned and pushed him into a near by barn which was thank fully empty._

 _"What are you doing?" He asked he was stuck between her and the barn wall._

 _"Getting my daily dose of Mr Daryl Dixon." She grinned wickedly as her hands ran up and down his chest._

 _He grabbed her neck and pulled her to him, their lips meeting forcefully. She moaned instantly against his lips spurring him on more._

 _He pushed off the wall and backed them up to the middle off the barn._

 _He smirked against her lips as he began pulling her shirt up exposing her stomach. His large hands gripping her body as their tongues fought for dominance._

 _"Daryl." She gasped against his lips._

 _He grinned again before wrapping his arms around her body and lowering them to the floor as gently as he could._

 _She sat up slightly and pulled off her shirt and began unbuttoning his own._

 _He laid her back down their bare chest pressed against each other..._

A loud scream brought him from his thoughts as he ran from his tent and ran to where everyone was stood. On the ground laid Dale with a while in his stomach and along side him a dead walker. It was instantly clear what had happened.

Rick pointed the gun at Dale realising nothing could be done but Daryl stepped in.

"Sorry brother."

 _Bang!_

 _"What was that?" Nellie asked gripping Daryl's arm._

 _"Probably just someone else hunting. Nothing to worry about Tinkabelle." He smirked._

 _"Whatever."_

 _They continued to walk deeper into the woods until they saw a deer limping along with a bullet hole in it's back leg. It didn't even try to run when it saw Nellie and Daryl._

 _"Oh Daryl." Nellie said approaching the deer. "Poor guy." She whispered._

 _"Come on let's leave it to die in piece." He said._

 _"What! No it's in pain." She exclaimed._

 _He sighed. "Nothing I can do. I ain't no vet."_

 _"Put it out it's misery." She told him._

 _He huffed. "Fine." He groaned as he walked up to the deer and stuck a knife through it's head. "Could have just let the hunters do it. They are gunna wonder why it's got a stab wound to head. Wanna hope they don't come after us." He said._

 _"Poor thing was suffering, I wasn't going to let you leave onOMG. Stupid hunters." She huffed._

 _"Yeah, yeah."_

 **Changed it up a fair bit.**

 **Daryl was getting horny while Dale was being attacked by a walker and then I turned Dale into a deer in a flashback. That was interesting.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you to all who have fav, followed and reviewed.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	6. Just Gone

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter Six:**

 **Just Gone**

 _"What's up brother?" Merle asked as he approach Daryl who looked pretty miserable to say the least._

 _"Nothing." He replied emotionlessly._

 _"Nellie left you?" He asked chuckling._

 _Daryl sighed. "Yeah actually she has." He snapped._

Everyone always leaves even more so in this shitty world.

Nellie, Merle, Sophia and now Dale. He wasn't particularly close to the man in fact Daryl had often shouted at him and gotten angry for no reason but it was still sad that another one had gone.

 _'Who was next?'_ Was a question that often echoed through his mind.

Now there was Randell. He couldn't say he was sad he was dead and had become a walker but he was pissed that he would never find out where Nellie and Sophia were from him.

Right now though the group had bigger problems like a fuckin' huge herd of walkers approaching the farm.

Some had wanted to redirect the walkers but there was too many. Everyone went off in different directions and in different vehicles. It was a disaster.

The only place Daryl could think if that the group would meet at was the highway where they had lost Sophia so he made his way there although he had to make the odd diversion for walkers who seemed to be migrating. He eventually spotted the group and joined them all.

Eventually everyone turned up apart from Jimmy, Patricia, Shane and Andrea. They knew for sure Patricia and Jimmy where dead but unsure about Andrea and Shane.

Later Rick revealed he killed Shane. Oddly Daryl wasn't surprised he had felt the desire to kill him many times before.

The topic eventually came back to Randell and Glenn and Daryl revealed they found Randell with a broken neck but no bites or scratches.

You could say everyone was royally pissed off to learn that Rick had known from the CDC that everyone was infected whether you were bitten or not.

Was there any point now? Eventually they could all turn into one of the undead.

The group was stuck, they had little gas, food and water, grieving the losses, no shelter and herds of walkers coming from every direction. With winter creeping up on them too and Loris pregnancy they knew they needed to find somewhere relatively safe

"We can't leave too far. What about Sophia. She's still out there." Carol called.

"And Nellie." Maggie and Daryl added at the same time.

"I know but there isn't much we can do. We don't know where Randell's group took them or." He paused. "Or if they are still alive anymore." Rick replied. "Let's just focus on finding some shelter for tonight at least.

Each day that passed Daryl thought more and more of Nellie. He felt ridiculous for doing so but he couldn't stop. He tried to take his mind off her by going hunting and doing anything other than sitting still but with the winter months it had become harder to find anything to kill even walkers were few and far between, clearly they hated the cold as much as the living did.

Winter was always one of Nellies favourite times of the year especially when it snowed.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw the first snow fall of the year through the window of the cabin they had been staying in. It had been the safest place they had found so far and had been there a week. Barely any walkers were seen and the cupboards had been stocked up.

 _"Come on Scuff! Let's walk in the snow." Nellie said._

 _She was wrapped up in a winter coat, scarf, hat and gloves while he wore his usual jeans, t-shirt and jacket._

 _"That's boring." Daryl replied._

 _"So is being stuck inside." She retorted._

 _"Can't we just go for a couple of drinks at the bar instead?" He asked._

 _She thought for a moment before answering. "Walk the long way to the bar how's about that?"_

 _"Can't we just go in the truck?" He asked with a sigh._

 _"No. We are going for a walk in the snow!" She said walking out the door._

 _"But why? It's cold and boring." He whined._

 _"I like the snow, it's beautiful, you would miss all the nice spots driving in the truck."_

 _"Your so annoying." He groaned._

 _"And you're so whipped." She grinned._

 _"I am not!" He shouted._

 _She giggled and threw a snow ball at him. "Hey!" He shouted before chasing her across the snow covered field._

 _She ran straight into the woods and out of sight however the snow made it easy to see where she had gone too._

Winter did become a hated time of the year for her at one point. He blamed himself for what happened

The day had been going great until he suggested they went to the pond to see if it was frozen.

 _"Come on let's go to the pond." He said._

 _She followed him happily taking in her surroundings. She was definitely an outdoor person._

 _They arrived at the pond which was indeed frozen with a thin layer of snow laying over the top._

 _"This is beautiful." She whispered._

 _"Thought you'd like it. You like pretty things." He grinned in a very un-Daryl like way._

 _"I do." She chuckled. "How thick do you think the ice is?" She asked._

 _He shrugged. "In this temperature it could easily be a couple inches thick."_

 _"Be funny to walk on." She chuckled._

 _"You wouldn't dare." He smirked._

 _"Wouldn't i? Watch me." She said confidently as she stepped over to the pond._

 _"Don't go too far. It won't be frozen all the way across."_

 _"Shouldn't it be me that's the nervous Nellie?" She joked._

 _He snorted but said nothing as he watched her carefully step onto the frozen water._

 _A dog ran up to Daryl playfully which diverted his attention from Nellie for a moment as he stroked the dog. It wasn't until the dogs owner appeared and they heard a splash and a scream that he realised Nellie was in trouble._

 _"Nellie!" He shouted both he and the dog owner walking too the edge of the pond._

 _It felt like hours before her head appeared. He could almost make out the man calling 911 but apart from that everything had gone silent until he saw her reappear gasping for air._

 _"I'm coming to get you." He told her as he crawled across the ice trying to distribute his weight evenly. He could hear the dog owner telling him to be careful but his main focus was Nellie._

 _"Come on Nellie. Take my hand." He told her._

 _Her teeth were chattering but he saw her nod. She took his warm hand with her Ice cold one and he pulled her from the water as fast as he could before pulling her back to the edge._

 _Daryl took of his jacket and the dog walker did the same as they tried to keep her warm as they waited for the ambulance._

 _The dog walker ran to the road to flag down the ambulance so they knew where to go._

It was one of the scariest things Daryl had ever experienced. He blamed himself for what had happened that day even though everyone had assured him he wasn't to blame.

As he stood by the window staring up at the sky he heard someone approach him. He turned quickly to see Maggie waking towards him with a smile before he quickly turned back to the window.

"What you thinking about?" She asked.

"Nothing." He replied.

"Really?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Thinking about the pond." He said after a moment.

Maggie nodded slowly instantly understanding. "Still scary thinking about it huh?"

He nodded.

"Should think of something happy. Like the time you accidentally poured paint over her head when you was painting the house." She chuckled.

He smirked at the memory. "She was pissed. She didn't speak to me for a week and made me hand wash her clothes."

"Whipped." Maggie muttered.

"Who made you hand wash what?" Lori asked curiosity.

"Nellie, daddy had gotten Daryl to repaint the house and Nellie was "helping" by holding the ladder."

"Why do you say helping like that?" She asked with a chuckle.

"She was too busy staring at his back side to care about helping." Beth added chuckling.

Daryl blushed. "That's not true." He grunted.

"Whatever, anyway he was up the ladder with this paint but he drops it. It was like something from a cartoon." Maggie laughed.

"Never did finish painting my house." Hershel pointed out.

Daryl tutted. "Whatever old man." He grumbled under his breath while the other laughed.

"Can you tell us anymore stories?" T-dog asked.

"Yeah, be nice to have a laugh at something." Lori smirked.

"Oh fuck this. I'm going to keep watch outside." Daryl grumbled as he walked out the door.

"So come on. What was Daryl like before the apocalypse. Was he always so...well Daryl like?" Carol asked finally able to take her mind of Sophia for a moment.

"There were times when he was like the man you see now but whenever he was around Nellie he was soft as a teddy bear. We constantly told him he was whipped, he'd do anything for her." Maggie said.

"Like what?" Glenn asked as he put an arm around her shoulders.

"The best one and I bet none of you guys can say you have done this. She needed tampons and asked Daryl to get them..." Maggie snorted.

"He did." Beth finished laughing too.

"No way, Rick has never done that for me in all the time we've been married." Lori gasped.

"Ed didn't for me either." Carol said smirking.

"What are tampons?" Carl asked clueless and everyone laughed.

"Who'd have thought Daryl Dixon was a better man than us." T-dog said.

"Only with Nellie. He could be a proper ass to us, especially daddy." Beth said.

"Why mainly with Hershel?" Rick asked.

"I don't know if you know about Daryl's father and if you don't I ain't telling but he wasn't a nice man. Daddy was the only father figure Daryl really had even though he wasn't a child anymore. I personally think that Daryl thought that the good times he had with daddy was like a betrayal on his own father or jealously that his own father couldn't be like daddy."

Rick nodded and turned to Hershel. "What did he do when he felt that way?" He asked.

"Many things, get angry, smash things, shout and cuss. It mainly happened when I would say something along the lines of 'good job son' at first I thought he didn't like being complimented, that it embarrassed him but then I realised every time I called him son he would flip out." Hershel explained.

"I see." He replied.

"Can we go back to some funny stories?" Carl asked.

Maggie chuckled. "Oh can we. There are let's to tell." She said wickedly.

They group chuckled and happily spent the night listening to stories of Daryl.

Outside Daryl sat silently listening. It annoyed him slightly that they were talking and laughing about him but he did find himself laughing along too.

Maggie and Hershel were right about there assumptions. Hershel had been the only father figured he had, had. It made him angry being around Hershel sometimes knowing his own father would never be the man Hershel was.

 **OOC again for Daryl, sorry. This chapter was more to fill up the time between the farm and the prison. The next chapter will be focused on arriving at the prison and maybe a sigh from Sophia and Nellie.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Guest reviews are moderated.**

 **Thank you to those who have already reviewed, favourited and followed.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	7. For A Friend

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter Seven:**

 **From A Friend.**

"A prison.." Daryl said looking down at the fenced off field, guard towers and the numerous walkers walking around the lower field which all looked to be dressed in prison uniforms.

"This is it, this is what we were looking for. Let's go tell the others." Rick said.

 _"Hershel told me to tell you that the barn door needs fixing again." Nellie said as she approached Daryl. He was sweating for re-fencing one of the pens._

 _"Again?" He asked sighing._

 _She nodded. "Don't know why it keeps coming apart. Should probably just get a whole new door but you know what Hershel's like." She chucked._

 _He smirked. "Probably don't help with us leaning against it so much." He grinned making her blush._

 _She slapped him playfully on the arm. "Don't be telling anyone that." She giggled._

 _"Our secret." He grinned and winked at her._

The prison was indeed a brilliant find. High fences with barbed wire, guard towards to see across the entire field and outside of the prison, Hershel even thought they could grow crops and t-dog suggested getting water from the small pond. It all seemed to good to be true.

Clearing the lower field was fairly easy with a decent plan and now they were spending the night sat around a fire and resting up for clearing out the courtyard and inside the prison. In all honestly they had no idea what they would find. From the looks off it the prison fell pretty quickly into the apocalypse, that made them believe it could easily be full of all kinds of supplies from food to ammunition but it was also going to be a dangerous task getting through all the walkers.

Daryl hoped they would soon find Sophia and Nellie too. The prison wasn't the kind of place what most people dreamt about living in but during this time it was like a mansion. All he need now was Nellie and Sophia to find their way too them. It had been months since Rick and Hershel saw them last. They could be dead, they could be alive. But if they're alive they could very well be being tortured by Randell's group and if not them, then some other group. There were many bad people in the new world and it made Daryl sick to think those people could be abusing Sophia and Nellie.

 _"Nellie..." He gasped between pants as she kissed down his neck._

 _"Mmm?"_

 _"Should..stop..." He groaned._

 _"Why?" She asked with a smirk before slipping her hand into his pants._

He was the only one that could touch Nellie now. She was already emotionally abused by one man, who she gave all she could to, he took it greedily and left her with far too much heartache, he refused to let it happen again.

He didn't want to be possessive but he definitely was. Nellie was his and no one else. He regretted all the times he refused to call them a couple, to let the world know she was his girl and no one else. He had only ever told one a person he had a girlfriend once.

 _"So how's your girl?" Merle asked as they sat in the local bar sipping on beers. Merle was leering at some women in the corner while sparking up a conversation with Daryl who didn't seen interested in being there._

 _"She ain't my girl." Daryl replied._

 _"So you're just banging her? I knew you had it in your brother." He smirked._

 _"Piss off." Daryl muttered glaring at him._

 _Merle just chuckled._

 _Two women approached the table Merle and Daryl were sat at._

 _"Can we join you?" They asked sweetly._

 _"Sure thing ladies." Merle said. A red headed busty women sat beside Merle and a blonde haired women beside Daryl._

 _"I'm Mel and this is Nikki." The girl beside Merle introduced._

 _Daryl nodded but said nothing as Merle chatted the girls up._

 _"So what do you do for a living?" Nikki asked Daryl._

 _"None of your damn business lady." Daryl said aggressively._

 _She looked at him surprised. "Well okay then. Wanna come back to my place. Those two seem to have hit it off." She said pointing to Merle who was making out with Mel his hand creeping under her shirt._

 _"I'm fine where I am thanks." Daryl replied taking a sip of his beer. All he could think of was Nellie._

 _"Well I ain't the kind of girl to fuck in an alley so are we going back to yours?" She asked._

 _He looked at her disgusted. "I have a girl and she's hotter than you. Even I I didn't I wouldn't come near a skank like you." He spat before getting up from the table and storming out of the bar._

He chuckled slightly at the memory.

He heard someone climbing onto the overturned bus. It was Carol with a plate of food.

"What's got you so amused?" She asked.

"Nothing."

She shook her head and smirked. "I brought you some food. I know you, unless it's brought to you, you ain't eating it."

He nodded. "True." He said before taking a bite of the meat on the plate.

"Do you think this could be home?" She asked looking over at the prison.

He thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Could be. It's safe, got high fences and shit. Walkers can't get in but we don't know what's inside, could be prisoners surviving in there. Could get messy." He said munching his food contently.

She nodded. "True. I hope we can find Sophia and bring her hear to live safely." She said.

He nodded. "You know if we do find her she could be a completely different kid?"

"How so?" She asked not understanding his meaning.

"It's been a long time Carol. If she is still with Nellie and they got away from Randell's group she will have had to make sure Sophia knew how to fight so she didn't die, I mean look what happened when she was with is. She had no idea how to fight and got scared of the walkers and I hate to say it but you heard what Randell's group did to women and kids, you've got to prepare yourself for the stories she may bring, the scars emotional ones and physical ones...if they come back at all." He said sadly. He wasn't one for giving emotional speeches but Carol needed to hear it, she needed to be prepared.

She nodded sadly. "I understand. I just want my baby home."

"I know. I want Nellie back too." He admitted shyly.

"They will find us or we will find them and we will have a home to bring them back too." Carol assured him.

He nodded once. "I should get back to watch." He said.

She nodded. "Goodnight Daryl." She said climbing down from the bus.

"Night." He mumbled.

"Oh Nellie where are you?" He asked out loud as he looked out into the darkness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcxxxxxx

 _A few hours earlier._

"Where are we going Nellie?" Sophia asked.

"I'm not sure but it's getting dark. We need to find shelter. I don't think my ass can stand being sitting up a tree all night again." She replied with a smirk which Sophia returned. "Don't let your guard down. I can smell smoke. There might be the living near by."

"Okay." Sophia replied her hand firmly gripping her machete in front of her.

They walked stealth fully through the woods until they began to see the flames of a camp fire.

"Get down." Nellie whispered. They crouched down at the edge of the woods and peered over to where the fire was they could only see the small outlines of bodies. It was beginning to get dark and they couldn't tell who they were.

"There's people." Sophia whispered.

"I know. Can't tell how many but they have guns. Someone's on that bus look." Nellie pointed. "This place is a prison. They could be survivors from there. We may not want to mess with them." She said quietly.

"I agree. Could be murders or anything in that group."

"Technically we are all murders now." Nellie smirked and Sophia frowned. "Too soon?" She asked.

Sophia just shook her head and chuckled.

"WHOS OUT THERE?" They heard a voice call a few moments later.

"Shit let's go. Run!" Nellie shouted.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rick and Daryl stood on top of the over turned bus. The sun was going down and they were stood in silence checking the edge of the woods.

"Did you hear that?" Rick asked.

"No." Daryl replied.

"Shush. Listen."

They heard a women's giggle.

"Someone's out there." Rick said.

"WHOS OUT THERE!" Daryl shouted.

"Shush. What you doing? You of all people should know not to just shout out like that." Rick hissed. "Your mind isn't in it today Dixon."

Daryl shrugged. "Whatever." He mumbled. "I'll check it out tomorrow. Piss off." He told Rick.

Rick sighed and walked away. "Keep you eyes and ears open Daryl. Don't let me down."

Daryl continued to scan the edge of the woods to see of there was any sign of the living but he saw nothing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day was a very successful one. They managed to clear out the courtyard, an entire cell block. They had planned to battle the food storage area and the infirmary but after the suspicious activity they saw the night before they held off while Daryl set off into the woods.

He was surprised when he was easily able to follow to sets of clear foot prints and found several deader than dead walkers.

The footprints led him to a small cabin a few miles from the prison. He could see from the footprints that whoever it was had ran there probably after being startled by him shouting.

He stalked over to the cabin and tried to peer through the window but curtains block his view.

On the small porch across the stairs were traps incase any walkers turned up to alert the occupants. It could mean they were still inside but there were a lot of walker tracks around so they could have already fled and a dead walker lay at the bottom of the porch steps with a wound to it's head and slightly tangled in the traps.

He tapped on the door frame and waited for the all too familiar sound of walkers but none came. He opened the door slowly and searched each room. It was only small with three rooms. The cabin was empty. He searched around and found a rucksack had been left behind clearly in their haste.

He opened it up to check inside. There was a handgun and ammunition and small first aid kit, half a bottle of water and a change of clothes. They looked children's sized. He took the shirt of the bag and instantly recognised it.

"Sophia." He whispered.

He quickly packed the bag back up. He needed to tell the group.

As he was about to leave the cabin a glimmer of silver caught his eye in the floor. He bent down to pick it up.

It was a necklace, more specific it was a Tinkabelle necklace, the exact same one he brought Nellie. What scared him was that it had blood on it. Fresh blood. He put it in his pocket and left the cabin with the bag in his hand and jogged back to the prison not even bothering with the passing walkers.

He darted into the common area where everyone was sat making a plan to tackle the food storage area and the infirmary.

"You alright Daryl? You look like you've seen a ghost." T-dog joked.

Daryl pulled the purple shirt from the bag and showed it the group.

"It's Sophia's isn't it?" He asked.

Carol gasped. "Yes, yes. Where did you find it?" She asked grabbing the shirt and looking over it.

"They were here last night, they ran to a cabin and stayed the night. The must have had to leave earlier because they left Sophia's bag and there were a lot of walker tracks about." Daryl explained emptying the bag on the table. He didn't mention the blood covered necklace.

"Should we keep looking?" Lori asked.

"They know where we are or at least where survivors are. They may come looking for us and we need to prepare." Rick said.

"Prepare for what?" Carol asked.

"They may not be the people we know anymore." Rick explained.

"What does that mean?" Carol asked tears streaking her face, she already knew what he was about to say but to hear him explain it needed to be done.

"How did they escape rapist and murderers? Do they have a group? If so will they kill to protect them? Kill us?" Rick said.

"My baby wouldn't kill anyone, not us!" Carol shouted. "She couldn't even kill a walker."

Rick held up the handgun. "Sophia's bag and she had a gun. She's survived this long she must have been killing walkers." Rick said.

"There were a lot of dead walkers on the way to the cabin. I could probably track them from that alone." Daryl said.

"We will get straightened up here. We will clear as much of the prison as we can tomorrow, gather supplies and then formulate a plan to find Sophia and Nellie. Okay?" He asked the group.

The nodded. "I hope they're okay." Hershel said more to himself although everyone heard.

"We all do. But this time last year I didn't think I would ever kill my best friend. We've got to prepare for the change in them." He said.

"You won't kick them out though will you?" Lori asked.

"Not if they're not a threat." He said before walking away. He knew it was the right decision. These past few months they had all changed, seen things they couldn't erase from their minds. There was no telling what Sophia and Nellies mental state will be like.

Daryl was pissed at the way Rick had put it. It was like he already believed they were crazy murders or something because they had escaped from Randell's group.

"Bastard." He muttered to himself as he walked past Ricks cell.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _Earlier that morning._

"Shit, Sophia a herd. We need to run. They're coming straight for us." Nellie said packing up her ruck sake.

"Oh no. " she cried.

"Shush it'll be okay. Just don't panic and no crying. Okay?" Nellie asked.

Sophia nodded.

"Weapons ready?" She asked.

Sophia nodded. "Ready."

"Let's go."

Nellie opened the door and a walkers rushed straight in grabbing her throat. She pushed it back but it was pulling at her necklace.

Sophia reached up and stabbed the walker threw the side of it's head allowing it to drop to the floor. Ellie kicked it out off the door and down the porch steps. It hit every trap and fell to a heap on the floor.

"Thanks kid." Nellie grinned.

Sophia smiled. "You're welcome."

They heardd the familiar groans of walkers and bolted from the cabin.

"Keep running, we will find a tree soon and climb it unless we find somewhere better. Then we can head back to that prison see what those people were really about." Nellie said.

"Okay." Sophia replied.

A few hours later they began heading towards the cabin.

"Do you think my stuff will still be there? I'm sorry I left it." Sophia said.

"Don't be we were heading back this way anyway and your stuff will more than likely still be there. I doubt anyone would take your bag with clothes. Maybe the gun but that's it." Nellie said.

Sophia nodded. "Do you think you will find your necklace to? The one Daryl gave you?"

"I hope so, I think that walker ripped it off when it grabbed me. IT SHOULd be there somewhere." Nellie said as they approached the cabin.

She stopped abruptly looking at the floor.

"What?" Sophia asked.

"Someone's been here. They're not our foot prints and they ain't walker prints. I will go first." She whispered.

Sophia nodded.

Nellie went the ought the cabin door which had been opened a notch. She checked all the rooms but found nothing.

"My bags not here." Sophia frowned.

"Can't see my necklace either. Who ever was hear must have took them or at least your bag. My necklace could be anywhere."

"Do you think it was the people at the prison?" She asked.

Nellie shrugged. "Maybe. I don't think we should stay here tonight. Let's find somewhere to stay before checking out the prison again. Good job I was carrying the BA with food and extra water." Nellie smirked.

Sophia grinned. "I'll say."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **So how did you like the Sophia and Nellie parts? I personally liked adding those to the story, let me know what you think.**

 **Ricks being a brat because of preggo Lori and without the death of Sophia to toughen her up , Carol is pretty much the same.**

 **I know I mixed up some of what really happened but I didn't go with my story so I changed it up.**

 **Proof read but can't be sure I got all the mistakes. SORRY.**

 **Thank you for reading.**


	8. Reunited

**The Hunter & The Farmers Daughter. **

**He didn't put the pieces together when they went to the Greenes farm. It was only when he saw them that it clicked but one person was missing, the person he craved to see. Where was she? Would he ever find her again? DarylD/OC.**

 **In this FF Daryl already knew Hershal, Maggie and Beth. You will understand more as the stories progresses. I think I made Daryl younger in my story than he is in the show but I don't give a specific age so I don't suppose it matters much.**

 _Italics are flashbacks or memories._

 **Chapter Eight:**

 **Reunited.**

 _Nellie & Sophia. _

"So where to now? I'm hungry and tired." Sophia whined.

"Just need to find a car or something. Then we can pull up to the gates at the prison, get a closer look and bolt if we need too." Nellie explained.

Sophia nodded but said no more as they continued walking through the woods.

"Do you think my Moms still alive?" She eventually asked.

Nellie thought about her answer for a moment. It was a tough question and she didn't want to upset her.

"I'm not sure. You saw the state of the farm."

Sophia nodded. "They could still have gotten out alive. All the cars were gone."

"True." Nellie said nodding. "But don't get your hopes up. This new world, surprises are everywhere."

"I know. I'm glad you saved me though." She smiled.

"I'm glad I saved you too. I've turned you into a badass." Nellie smirked.

Sophia giggled. "Before I met you i had never killed a walker before."

"That's easy to believe." She joked. "Doesn't help that you can barely teach the heads of most of them."

Sophia giggled again." That's true."

Nellie smirked. "Come on this way. There should be a small town about a mile and a half away." Nellie said.

"Okay." Sophia replied and continued to follow her while keeping a look out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _Prison group._

Rick cautiously walked over to the group. He knew he had been harsh last night but they needed to hear it.

"Everyone ready to tackle the rest of the prison?" He asked.

They nodded, mumbled and grunted in reply.

"Look I'm sorry for what I said but it's true. You have all seen the changed in yourself. Just prepare yourself for the changes in Nellie and Sophia if we find them."

"We understand they may be different but It doesn't mean we are going to let you kick them out if they have had to kill the living to survive." Hershel said.

"And we all know they will have. How else would they have escaped Randell's group?" T-dog said. "You were over the top man. We should welcome them back like family not criminals. We've all done shit we ain't proud off...especially you. Unless they go around trying to kill us all then we welcome them back. It's just a scared kid and a women trying to help her. Give them some credit."

"He's right." Carol said. "I won't have my daughter treat differently than she was before." She stated.

"Okay." Rick nodded. "Let's get on with this then." He said.

The plan didn't got exactly well. By the end of the day Hershel was passed out from blood loss after Rick had to cut his lower leg off after a walker bit him, they had found several prisoners locked in the food storage area but they did manage to get plenty of food in exchange for them clearing out a cell block for the remaining prisoners.

Most of the group were gathered in the common area waiting to find out about Hershel.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ready to find out who's at this prison?" Nelly asked driving down the dirt road where they had found a car.

Sophia nodded.

"Good girl, get your gun and machete ready if we have to leave the car. They could be dangerous."

Sophia nodded and took out her new gun they had just found at a house. "Do you think the owner will miss it?" She asked.

Nellie shook her head. "Probably dead." She said bluntly. "Here we go." Nellie said as they set off down the long road to the prison.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Glenn who was on watch at in the guard tower heard the car before he saw it but it soon came into view. Car was at the gate unsure what to do so Glenn ran down to help.

"Don't open it Carl." He called.

The car stopped at the gates and the two doors opened.

"Sophia!" Carl shouted.

"Carl!" She shouted and ran to the gate. "Let us in please. This is Nellie." She saved me."

Glenn eyed them skeptically but nodded and opened the gate just as the walkers approached.

They watched in shock as Sophia easily took two walkers down.

"You got better at that kid." Glenn said.

"Nellie showed me."

"So you're the famous Nellie. I've got four people who will be very happy to see you and you Sophia, are you ready to see your mom?" He asked.

Sophia's eyes widened. "She's still alive?" She asked.

Glenn nodded. "Come on."

Carl and Glenn ran ahead.

"Be careful Sophia. Don't drop your guard and don't let them have your weapons." Nellie said.

"They're family. We will be safe with them."

"Sophia..,"

"Okay, sorry."

By the time they had reached the court yard everyone had gathered out side. Rick had his gun pointed at them while everyone was wondering what was going on in his mind.

Sophia ran to her mothers arms but Nellie kept her gun pointing at Rick.

"Drop your weapon Nellie. " Rick said.

"No." She replied shortly.

"Rick stop this! She's safe, she's can keep her gun. The only reason she will fire is if you continue pointing that gun at her." Sophia shouted from her mothers arms.

"You killed before?" He asked.

She laughed without humour. "Pretty hard to get by in this world without killing a rapist or two." She said bitterly.

"Nellie, daddy's injured. He got bit and Rick chopped his leg off. He might die. You need to see him. Please stop this." Beth begged.

"Tell him to get that gun out my face and I will. If his finger goes near that trigger I will not hesitate to pain the wall with his brains." Nellie replied.

"God I love a badass." T-dig mumbled.

"Nellie please." She heard Daryl say.

She looked beside her and saw him stood with his hand out wanting to take her gun.

"I'm not giving it up Daryl. I've seen people I know turn into the worst of people. I'm not risking my life or Sophia's." She said passionately as tears formed in her eyes.

Slowly Rick lowered his gun before putting it away all together.

Beth, Maggie and Daryl smile softly at her. Before Beth and Maggie ran to hug her. All three crying.

The others began to go off back to their jobs while Sophia and Carol went inside to catch up properly and Maggie as Beth took Nellie to Hershel.

She entered the cell Hershel was in and could instantly smell the blood. It made her gag. She approached the bed and knelt beside him.

Taking his hand gently she began to talk. "Hey uncle Hershel so I saw the state the farm was in. I don't even think Daryl could fix that lot up." She said with a chuckle. "The barn was completely demolished, walker bodies everywhere, the house was a right old state. I'm glad you all got out alive though. Although it seems Patricia, Otis and Jimmy are not here. I'm glad you are though." She whispered before kissing his cheek and standing.

She hugged both Beth and Maggie. "I've missed you both so much."

"We've missed you too. We knew you would find us again."

She pulled back and smiled. "Of course I would."

"I think you should go and see Daryl joe. He's a bit antsy." Maggie said.

"I will. Thank you." She said leaving them to tend to their father.

Sleoly she walked through the prison. Her hand on her holster just in case. She passed t-dog who smiled at her, Carl and Lori who were talking in the common area, Carol and Sophia who were both talking in their cell.

She exited the cell block and entered the courtyard. Daryl was leant against the wall smoking his cigarette.

"Hey scruff." Nellie said approaching him.

He smiled. "Hey Tinkabelle." He grinned.

"God I've missed you." She said pulling on his shirt and bringing her lips to his.

He dropped his cigarette and moved his hand to her hair and face kissing her back eagerly.

They pulled back breathlessly. "I've missed you too." He replied before kissing her again.

"So I have something for you." He said as they pulled away again.

"What's that?" She asked.

He pulls out the silver necklace from his pocket. "I believe this belongs to you." He smirked.

"It was you who took Sophia's bag and my necklace." She exclaimed happily as she held the necklace in her hands. The clasp was broken and she was unable to wear it but she would still keep it safe.

"Yup. I knew I should have wished for you to come back." He grumbled.

Nellie grinned.

"Daryl..." She said quietly after a moments silence.

"Yeah?" He asked.

She looked him directly in the eyes. "I love you..." She whispered.

He looked away shyly looking very much unlike himself. "I'm ashamed to say I've not been honest with you for a long time."

She nods urging him to continue.

He cups her cheeks with his large rough hands. "I love you too." He whispered back before giving her a soft kiss.

 **That's part one of my story complete. Part two will be up shortly. Must warn you there will be a lot of angst in the next one.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you to all that have read this part and I hope you enjoy the next part.**


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